Verified on the base game and Forsaken Hollows DLC (June 2026). Values may change with future patches.
Most Nightreign guides treat character unlocks and boss progression as separate topics. They shouldn’t be — the two systems are directly connected. Defeating Gladius in the Tricephalos expedition drops the item that unlocks Duchess. Unlocking Duchess is a hard prerequisite for Revenant. Finishing the same first expedition with the DLC installed unlocks both Scholar and Undertaker. Every expansion of your character roster happens through expedition runs, which means your boss progression order also determines when new characters become available.
This guide covers both systems in one place: a complete unlock table for all 10 Nightfarers, step-by-step paths for the two hidden characters, and a difficulty-ordered Nightlord sequence showing which expeditions to run first and why. For a broader overview of the game’s systems, see our Elden Ring Nightreign Beginner’s Guide.
Quick Start: First 8 Steps in Nightreign
- Complete the tutorial — collect the Fell Omen Fetish Relic from the tutorial boss
- Access Roundtable Hold — your permanent hub for character selection, Relic management, and NPC interactions
- Run the Tricephalos expedition (mandatory first) and defeat Gladius, Beast of Night on Day 3
- Check the post-run rewards screen for the Old Pocketwatch alongside your Relics
- If no Pocketwatch drops, run Tricephalos again — it is RNG-gated and will not always appear on the first run
- Give the Old Pocketwatch to the Priestess at Roundtable Hold to unlock Duchess
- Buy the Besmirched Frame (1,500 Murk) from the Small Jar Bazaar to begin Revenant’s unlock
- After unlocking your characters, tackle remaining Nightlords in difficulty order — start with Adel and Caligo, save Fulghor for last
How Nightreign Progression Works
Nightreign replaces Elden Ring’s persistent open world with a hub-and-expedition loop. Roundtable Hold is your permanent base between runs — here you select Nightfarers, equip Relics, spend Murk at the Small Jar Bazaar, and interact with NPCs that unlock hidden characters.
Each expedition runs over three in-game days [7]:
- Day 1: Explore Limveld for Runes, weapon upgrades, and Dormant Powers. Target character levels 6–8 before the Day 1 Night Boss. Start at nearby Forts or Great Churches for dense early enemies, then move toward the Castle for weapon upgrade materials [5]
- Day 2: Field Bosses become available and drop significantly better gear. Boss-rush priority targets while visiting Churches for additional Flask charges. Target levels 11–14 before the Day 2 Night Boss [5]
- Day 3: Face the Nightlord. An anvil near the arena lets you make final weapon upgrades before the fight. Reach level 14+ before this confrontation [5]
Key carry-over rules: in-run levels and gear reset after each expedition. What persists are Relics earned from Nightlord defeats, Murk, and permanent Roundtable Hold upgrades. The Relic you earn from one Nightlord can give you a direct tactical advantage in the next — a mechanic that the recommended completion order below deliberately exploits. See our Relic system guide for full Relic details.
To unlock the final boss, you need to defeat four distinct Nightlords. After your fourth defeat, you receive the Primordial Nightlord’s Rune and the Heolstor expedition becomes available [6].
All 10 Nightfarers: Complete Unlock Conditions
Six Nightfarers are selectable from the start. Two require in-game quests. Two more are DLC-exclusive. For build guides per character, see our Nightfarer character guide.
| Nightfarer | Role | Starting Weapon | Passive | Unlock Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wylder | All-rounder | Greatsword + Small Shield | Sixth Sense (cheat death once per run) | Available from start |
| Guardian | Tank | Halberd + Greatshield | Steel Guard (enhanced blocking) | Available from start |
| Raider | Melee brawler | Greataxe | Fighter’s Resolve (knockdown immunity) | Available from start |
| Executor | Parry specialist | Katana | Tenacity (stat boosts on parry) | Available from start |
| Ironeye | Ranged | Bow | Eagle Eye (increased item drops) | Available from start |
| Recluse | Magic | Staff | Elemental Defense | Available from start |
| Duchess | Hit-and-run / stealth | Dagger | Magnificent Poise | Old Pocketwatch (RNG drop — farm Tricephalos expedition until it appears in post-run rewards) then give to the Priestess at Roundtable Hold |
| Revenant | Summoner | Cursed Claws | Necromancy | Unlock Duchess first, then buy Besmirched Frame (1,500 Murk) from Small Jar Bazaar, find Phantom in east wing of Roundtable Hold, and defeat the Night Idol boss in the tutorial area |
| Scholar (DLC) | Support / debuffer | Thrusting Sword | Bagcraft | Own Forsaken Hollows DLC and defeat Gladius in the Tricephalos expedition, then speak to Iron Menial at Roundtable Hold |
| Undertaker (DLC) | Offense / damage-over-time | Hammer | Confluence | Same as Scholar — both unlock together via Iron Menial |
For players new to Nightreign: Wylder, Guardian, and Raider are the recommended first picks. Wylder’s Sixth Sense passive — one free death per run — is the most forgiving mechanic in the game for learning expedition pacing. Recluse has the steepest learning curve: her Magic Cocktail system requires sequencing elemental damage types mid-combat, which is difficult to manage while also managing positioning and team coordination [1].
How to Unlock Duchess
Duchess is gated behind an RNG item drop, which is why so many players assume the unlock is broken. The Old Pocketwatch is not guaranteed after your first Tricephalos run. It appears randomly alongside Relics on the post-expedition rewards screen — some players get it on run two, others need six or seven attempts. There is no way to force the drop.
Step-by-step unlock [3]:
- Select the Tricephalos expedition from the expedition screen in Roundtable Hold
- Complete all three days and defeat Gladius, Beast of Night
- After the run ends, check the rewards screen for the Old Pocketwatch item alongside your Relics
- If it does not appear, run Tricephalos again — this is expected and not a bug
- Once you have the Old Pocketwatch, return to Roundtable Hold
- Find the Priestess (the woman in the white cloak near the Table of Lost Grace) and speak to her
- Select the option to show her the pocketwatch — a cutscene plays and Duchess unlocks
Duchess plays as a hit-and-run stealth fighter. Her Restage skill replicates the last animation of an enemy — useful for creating distance or setting up her Finale ultimate for burst damage. She rewards aggression but punishes slow play. For optimal Duchess builds, see our Duchess guide.
How to Unlock Revenant
Revenant’s unlock is sequential: Duchess must already be unlocked before the Besmirched Frame appears in the Small Jar Bazaar at all. Do not search for this item before completing the Duchess questline — it will not be there.
Step-by-step unlock [3]:
- Visit the Small Jar Bazaar in Roundtable Hold and buy the Besmirched Frame for 1,500 Murk
- From the central chamber, take the southeast hallway and make a sharp left turn
- Find the Phantom (the ghost of a young woman staring at a painting) and interact with her
- This teleports you to the crumbling ruins from the tutorial area
- Find the Night Idol — she is flanked by three Phantom summons; eliminate those first before focusing on her
- Defeating the Night Idol unlocks Revenant as a playable character
Revenant’s Summon Spirit skill and Immortal March ultimate require coordinating spirit positioning with your team’s combat engagement — she is one of the more complex characters to pilot effectively. For Revenant builds and team synergy advice, see our Revenant guide.
DLC Nightfarers: Scholar and Undertaker
Both Forsaken Hollows DLC characters unlock simultaneously through the same trigger. After defeating Gladius in the Tricephalos expedition with the DLC installed, return to Roundtable Hold and speak to the Iron Menial NPC. He relays a message from the Small Jar Merchant, which initiates the DLC storyline and adds both Scholar and Undertaker to character select [1][2].
Scholar functions as the closest thing Nightreign has to a support character — applying debuffs and buffs through the Analyze skill and Communion ultimate. Undertaker deals sustained damage via the Trance skill’s stacking Loathsome Hex. Both are DLC-exclusive and will not appear in character select without the Forsaken Hollows expansion.
Recommended Nightlord Order by Difficulty
The order in which you tackle Nightlords matters beyond just difficulty — it affects which Relics you carry into subsequent runs. Gladius drops the Night of the Beast Relic, which adds Fire damage to your starting armament for the next expedition. Caligo, the next-easiest Nightlord, is weak to Fire. Running Caligo immediately after Gladius is the sharpest single efficiency gain in the game’s progression design [4].
Full recommended order for a complete clear, easiest to hardest [4]:
| # | Nightlord | Expedition | Difficulty | Key Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gladius, Beast of Night | Tricephalos | ★★☆☆☆ | Mandatory first. Drops Night of the Beast Relic (Fire damage) — equip immediately before the next run |
| 2 | Caligo, Miasma of Night | Fissure in the Fog | ★★☆☆☆ | Weak to Fire — Night of the Beast Relic from Gladius gives you a direct damage advantage here |
| 3 | Adel, Baron of Night | Gaping Jaw | ★★☆☆☆ | Watch for grab and slam attacks. Poison armaments accelerate the fight significantly |
| 4 | Maris, Fathom of Night | Augur | ★★★☆☆ | Constant aerial repositioning — Ironeye and Recluse outperform melee characters here. Prone to Sleep status |
| 5 | Balancers (DLC) | Weapon-Bequeathed Harmonia | ★★★☆☆ | Gank encounter with multiple enemies. Sleep weapons disable adds and accelerate the fight cleanly |
| 6 | Gnoster, Wisdom of Night | Sentient Pest | ★★★★☆ | Duo fight: Moth above and Grub below simultaneously. Designate targets per team member before engaging |
| 7 | Libra, Creature of Night | Equilibrious Beast | ★★★★☆ | Frequent Madness procs that kill instantly. Collect the gold orbs Libra drops — they counter its own Madness buildup |
| 8 | Dreglord (DLC) | Traitorous Straghess | ★★★★☆ | Inflicts Scarlet Rot and summons adds. Anti-Rot consumables and patience outperform aggression here |
| 9 | Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow | Darkdrift Knight | ★★★★★ | Hardest non-final boss. Grows a missing arm in Phase 2, changing its attack patterns entirely — fully learn Phase 1 before Phase 2 arrives |
| Final | Heolstor the Nightlord | Night Aspect | ★★★★★ | Two-phase fight with a full HP refill at Phase 2. Holy weapons create stagger windows during Phase 2’s extended attack sequences |
Minimum path to the ending: Gladius, then Caligo, then Adel, then Maris — four Nightlords cleared, Heolstor unlocked. Gnoster, Libra, Fulghor, and both DLC Nightlords are optional content you can return to after seeing the credits. For individual boss phase breakdowns, see our full Nightlord guide.
Which Path Fits Your Playstyle?
The order above is optimal for most players, but priority shifts based on your goals. The game is primarily balanced for three-player co-op — solo play scales enemy HP downward to compensate, but Nightlord attack patterns stay identical [7].
| Player Type | Priority Characters | Recommended Boss Path | Skip (for now) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Player | Wylder first — Sixth Sense passive forgives positioning mistakes. Guardian second for tank comfort | Gladius, Adel, Caligo, Maris, then Heolstor. Run Tricephalos 3–5 times to learn the format and collect the Old Pocketwatch | Gnoster, Libra, and Fulghor — all punish mistakes faster than beginners can course-correct |
| Casual Player | Unlock Duchess as your third character after getting comfortable with two starters | Gladius, Caligo (Fire relic advantage), Adel, Maris, Heolstor | Both DLC Nightlords and Fulghor — high investment for the content they provide |
| Hardcore / Optimiser | Unlock Revenant as soon as possible for summoner-based team coordination. Use Ironeye specifically for Maris | Gladius, Caligo immediately (Fire advantage), Maris (Ironeye), Gnoster (split-team setup), Fulghor, Heolstor | Nothing — full clear and Relic optimisation across all 10 expeditions |
| Completionist | All 10 Nightfarers unlocked before tackling Fulghor or Heolstor. Revenant is the last base-game unlock | Full 10-Nightlord run in difficulty order. DLC: Balancers (Sleep weapons) then Dreglord (patience + anti-Rot) — both after all base Nightlords | Nothing — every Nightfarer, every Nightlord, every Relic |
For team composition advice and who to pair with whom across different expeditions, see our co-op guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to defeat all Nightlords to beat Elden Ring Nightreign?
No. You need to defeat only four Nightlords to access Heolstor, the final boss. You can pick any four from the available pool — the fastest route to the ending is Gladius, Caligo, Adel, and Maris (the four easiest). Gnoster, Libra, Fulghor, and both DLC Nightlords are optional and can be tackled after the credits roll.
How many Tricephalos runs does it take to unlock Duchess?
There is no fixed number. The Old Pocketwatch is RNG-gated — it appears randomly alongside Relics on the post-run rewards screen, not as a guaranteed first-run drop. Most players report getting it within three to seven complete expedition runs. If you have completed five runs with no Pocketwatch, that is within normal variance. Keep running the full expedition (Day 1, 2, and Day 3 Nightlord defeat) and watch the rewards screen after each [3].
Can I use any Nightfarer against any Nightlord?
Yes — all Nightfarers can equip all weapon types, so there is no hard restriction. That said, some matchups have clear advantages. Ironeye and Recluse hold a notable edge against Maris due to his constant aerial repositioning. Executor’s parry kit struggles against rapid multi-hit attacks, which makes Fulghor’s Phase 2 particularly punishing for that character. Check individual boss guides before your first attempt on any four-star Nightlord. For character-specific build and matchup notes, see our best builds guide.
Sources
- List of All Classes and Character Unlocks — Game8
- Nightfarers (Classes) — Fextralife Nightreign Wiki
- How to Unlock Duchess & Revenant in Elden Ring Nightreign — Dexerto
- Nightlord Bosses Ranked by Difficulty — Game8
- Expedition Progression Guide — maxroll.gg
- Walkthrough and Progression Guide — Game8
- The Official Starter Guide — Bandai Namco Europe
I've been playing video games for over 20 years, spanning everything from early PC titles to modern open-world games. I started Switchblade Gaming to publish the kind of accurate, well-researched guides I always wanted to find — built on primary sources, tested in-game, and kept up to date after patches. I currently focus on Minecraft and Pokémon GO.